Health
JD Vance promotes family in America amid birth rate drop, fueled by several factors
As former President Donald Trump continues to brush off any criticisms of his running mate Ohio Sen. JD Vance’s resurfaced comments from 2021 that “childless cat ladies” destroyed American values — with Trump emphasizing that adults without children are just as good as parents and that Vance strongly values family in his own life given his tumultuous upbringing — Americans are having fewer and fewer children.
Vance himself, the GOP’s vice presidential candidate, said his comments from three years ago were “radically” taken out of context by Democrats.
Describing himself as “pro-family,” he also told Fox News’ Trey Gowdy, host of “Sunday Night in America,” that he firmly believes “there are a whole host of people who don’t have children for a whole host of reasons, and they certainly are great people who can participate fully in the life of this country.”
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He said Democrats have become increasingly “anti-family” and “anti-parent” over the years as they cite climate change concerns as one reason not to have children.
Whatever the reasons, in April, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the birth rate in America has dropped to a historic low, decreasing by 3% since 2022. The rate has been on a steady decline since 2014, except for a brief 1% increase from 2020 to 2021.
The birth rate has dropped to a historic low, decreasing by 3% since 2022, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in April. (iStock)
In recent years, the priorities of young Americans have been changing, including the desire to have children, the data suggests.
Experts say this drop-off could be caused by many factors — including a heightened focus on career goals, the cost of raising children, a priority on personal liberty and mental health, the fear of an uncertain future and growing fertility concerns.
Career comes first?
Kyle Elliott, a career coach and job search expert based in Santa Barbara, California, told Fox News Digital about a lack of interest in having children among working professionals.
“I am seeing a huge increase in the focus of careers among Americans,” he said.
“In the past, there were certain expectations in place — now, the path isn’t as predictable or expected.”
“They’re recognizing that it’s more challenging to balance work and life because their careers are taking up more time.”
Many Americans are working 50 to 60 hours per week, according to Elliott.
“Trying to balance that is a lot more difficult than it was 20, 10 or even five years ago,” he said.
Many Americans today are working 50 to 60 hours per week, which makes having children nearly impossible, one expert suggested. (iStock)
Individuals who work extended hours are more likely to meet their career goals and earn more money, he said — so many find it “helpful” to forgo parenting commitments.
Company policies for parental leave and child care also come into play, Elliott said.
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While some American businesses have improved accommodations for new parents, the U.S. is “still far behind compared to other countries,” he said.
When employees return from maternity or paternity leave, they’re often still responsible for child care, Elliott noted, which can be “really difficult to balance.”
To recruit and retain employees, one expert suggested that companies should continue providing thoughtful accommodations for families. (iStock)
“I think it would benefit both the employee and the employer if organizations provided more accommodations, whether that’s child care or additional leave or more flexibility, such as remote work or work from anywhere,” he said.
“I think there’s a lot of opportunity to better support parents,” he said, expressing his professional opinion.
Cost of childrearing
The cost of having a child can be daunting for some young Americans, as inflation remains high in many U.S. states, the Labor Department has reported.
A middle-income married couple with two children can expect to pay about $306,924 to raise a child born in 2023, according to data from Credit Karma.
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This estimate is based on a 2017 U.S. Department of Agriculture study.
Cost factors include housing (about 30% of total expenses), food, child care and education, transportation, health care, clothing and other items.
Day care alone could cost up to $17,000 per year in some states, according to 2023 data from the U.S. Department of Labor.
The cost of child care has become “astronomical,” one expert said. (iStock)
There could also be the added cost of saving for the child’s future, including college planning.
Dr. Michele Borba, a California-based educational psychologist and parenting expert, agreed that finances are a “huge factor” in terms of two working parents deciding to have a baby.
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“The cost of child care is unbelievably astronomical, and it’s unaffordable for a lot of parents,” she told Fox News Digital.
Years ago, “you had a nuclear family, or you had a mom who lived next door … and a lot of times, [people] don’t have that” now.
Changing culture and politics
The American family unit has shifted from earlier generations, as many couples are choosing to get married at older ages and limit the number of kids they have, if any, experts say.
Borba, author of “Thrivers: The Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine,” emphasized an increased focus on mental health and the need for parents to be mentally strong to raise a child.
“We’re seeing not only a halt in pregnancies, but a halt in larger families,” one psychologist said about today’s parenting situation. (iStock)
Many Americans do not have a secure support system to help raise a child, the psychologist noted, and single parenting is “even harder” for unmarried individuals.
A desire for personal freedom can also play a role in a decision not to have children, she noted.
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Jonathan Alpert, a psychotherapist and author based in New York City, said he believes politics has played a role in people’s decisions to have children or not.
“Patients often cite their reasons as, ‘I don’t want to add to the carbon footprint’ or ‘I don’t want to contribute to overpopulation,’ while others feel great insecurity about the state of the world and say, ‘The world is too dangerous of a place to raise a child,’” he told Fox News Digital.
Parents are often more stressed than their own children, one psychologist noted. (iStock)
Among those “more moderate” politically, Alpert said, “they worry about what it would be like to raise a kid in the climate of pronouns, boys competing in girls’ sports, and boys and girls sharing locker rooms.”
Other people simply don’t feel the pressure to have kids as people once did, the psychologist noted.
“In the past, there were certain expectations in place — go to school, meet someone, get married, have kids. Now, the path isn’t as predictable or expected.”
Fear of the unknown
Many adults are also burdened by feelings of uncertainty about the future, Borba said, which can result in a “doom and gloom” perspective when considering whether to bring a human being into the world.
Some parents may ask themselves, “Is this the right kind of place to have a child?” or “Should I bring a human into this world when I don’t feel secure myself?”
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Parenting “isn’t as relaxed” as it used to be decades ago, when parents took more of a hands-off approach and there was less emphasis on accelerated development and hyper-safety, according to Borba.
Parenting “isn’t as relaxed” as it used to be decades ago, one expert said. (iStock)
Kids in previous generations had “a lot more free time, a lot more play,” Borba said.
“Those are things that aren’t part of our kids’ world right now, unfortunately. A lot of [prospective] parents are growing up in a fear-based world, and that’s impacting their decisions.”
Fertility obstacles
The chances of a woman experiencing fertility and pregnancy problems can be another deterrent to having children.
That’s according to Dr. Jillian LoPiano, a Miami-based OB-GYN and chief health officer at the reproductive telehealth platform Wisp, who told Fox News Digital that the health and cost implications of childbirth could cause couples to decide against becoming parents.
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The U.S. is currently experiencing a maternal mortality crisis, LoPiano said.
In 2021, the maternal death rate was 32 out of 100,000 births, which reportedly doubles and triples the current rates in other similarly resourced countries.
The Caesarean delivery rate increased for the fourth year in a row, according to CDC data from 2023. (iStock)
This could be due to the increase in maternal age, chronic health conditions and pregnancy-related health conditions that can appear at an “extreme age spectrum,” LoPiano said.
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“Lack of access to adequate prenatal care, health care costs and restrictive reproductive health care laws all contribute to poor outcomes,” she said.
Socioeconomic factors and other insecurities also play a role in the declining birth rate, LoPiano told Fox News Digital.
‘Should I have a baby?’
For couples who are on the fence about having a child, Borba encouraged them to use their best judgment.
“Nobody knows yourself better,” she said. “In the end, you know who you are and what you can give, so make the decision based on what’s best for your family and your child.”
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Borba suggested writing down the reasons in a journal and leaning on a trusted support system.
“If you want to stick to a decision, you need to be firm and understand your ‘why,’ which means you need to do a little reflective measure,” she advised.
“In the end, you know who you are and what you can give, so make the decision based on what’s best for your family and your child,” one psychologist said. (iStock)
Borba also emphasized the importance of being on the same page as your partner when it comes to having children.
If mental health is the main concern, she suggested seeking help from a provider who can help clarify the decision.
Long-term effects
Overall, Alpert said, it is natural for birth rates to “ebb and flow” over time.
“There’s probably no reason to be alarmed [by today’s declining birth rates],” he told Fox News Digital.
“A lot of [prospective] parents are growing up in a fear-based world, and that’s impacting their decisions.”
“That said, if there’s a significant decline, the proportion of the elderly population would increase relative to births, which could strain the health care system as more resources are put into medical care for the aging population.”
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There would also be fewer people entering the workforce and less spending, Alpert added — resulting in slower economic growth and potentially adversely affecting the Social Security system.
FOX Business’ Megan Henney contributed to this report.
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Study finds link between obesity and vascular dementia
Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel joins ‘America’s Newsroom’ to discuss an increase in colon cancer in people under 50 despite an overall lowering cancer deaths and a new study linking obesity to vascular dementia.
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A new blood test could determine a woman’s dementia risk as early as 25 years before symptoms emerge.
That’s according to new research from the University of California San Diego, which found that a specific biomarker protein associated with early pathological processes of Alzheimer’s disease was “strongly linked” to future dementia risk.
The researchers analyzed blood samples from 2,766 participants in the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study in the late 1990s, according to the study’s press release.
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The women ranged from 65 to 79 years of age and showed no signs of cognitive decline at the start of the study.
After tracking the participants for up to 25 years, the researchers concluded that the biomarker phosphorylated tau 217 (p-tau217) was “strongly associated” with future mild cognitive impairment and dementia.
A new blood test could determine a woman’s dementia risk as early as 25 years before symptoms emerge. (iStock)
Women who had higher levels of p-tau217 at the beginning of the study were “much more likely” to develop the disease. The findings were published today in JAMA Network Open.
“The key takeaway is that our study suggests it may be possible to detect risk of dementia two decades in advance using a simple blood test in older women,” first author Aladdin H. Shadyab, a UC San Diego associate professor of public health and medicine, told Fox News Digital.
“These biomarkers may help us identify who is at greatest risk and develop strategies to delay or prevent dementia.”
“Our findings show that the blood biomarker p-tau217 could help identify individuals at higher risk for dementia long before symptoms begin,” he added.
This long lead time could open the door to earlier prevention strategies and more targeted monitoring, rather than waiting until memory problems are already affecting daily life, according to Shadyab.
A specific biomarker protein associated with early pathological processes of Alzheimer’s disease was “strongly linked” to future dementia risk. (iStock)
“As the research advances, these biomarkers may help us identify who is at greatest risk and develop strategies to delay or prevent dementia,” he said.
This risk relationship wasn’t the same across the board, however. Women over 70 with higher p-tau217 levels had “poorer cognitive outcomes” compared to those under 70, as did those with the APOE ε4 gene, which is a known risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.
The study also found that p-tau217 was a stronger predictor of dementia in women who were randomly assigned to receive estrogen and progestin hormone therapy compared to those who received a placebo.
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“Blood-based biomarkers like p-tau217 are especially promising because they are far less invasive and potentially more accessible than brain imaging or spinal fluid tests,” said senior author Linda K. McEvoy, senior investigator at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute and professor emeritus at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health, in the release.
“Blood-based biomarkers like p-tau217 are especially promising because they are far less invasive and potentially more accessible than brain imaging or spinal fluid tests,” a researcher said. (iStock)
“This is important for accelerating research into the factors that affect the risk of dementia and for evaluating strategies that may reduce risk.”
Blood tests for Alzheimer’s disease are still being studied and are not recommended for routine screening in people without symptoms, Shadyab noted.
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More research is needed before this approach can be considered for clinical use prior to cognitive symptoms.
Future studies should investigate how other factors — like genetics, hormone therapy and age-related medical conditions — might interact with plasma p-tau217, the researchers added.
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“The study examined only older women, so the findings may not necessarily apply to men or younger populations,” Shadyab noted. “We also examined overall dementia outcomes rather than specific subtypes such as Alzheimer’s disease.”
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For women over 60, muscle strength plays a critical role in longevity, a new study confirms.
Researchers at the University at Buffalo, New York, followed more than 5,000 women between the ages of 63 and 99, finding that those with greater muscle strength had a significantly lower risk of death over an eight-year period.
The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.
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Muscle function was measured using grip strength and how quickly participants could complete five unassisted sit-to-stand chair raises.
These are two tests commonly used in clinical settings to evaluate muscle function in older adults, the researchers noted.
A recent study shows that stronger muscle strength in women over 60 is linked to a lower risk of death over eight years. (iStock)
“In a community cohort of ambulatory older women, muscular strength was associated with significantly lower mortality rates, even when we accounted for usual physical activity and sedentary time measured using a wearable monitor, gait speed and blood C-reactive protein levels,” study lead author Michael LaMonte, research professor of epidemiology and environmental health at the University at Buffalo, told Fox News Digital.
“Movement is the key — just move more and sit less.”
Many earlier studies did not include those objective measurements, making it difficult to determine whether muscle strength itself was linked to longevity, according to LaMonte. “Our study was able to better isolate the association between strength and death in later life,” he added.
Even for women who don’t get the recommended amount of aerobic physical activity, which is at least 150 minutes per week, muscle strength remained important for longevity, the researchers found.
Women with greater muscle strength were more likely to live longer, even if they did not meet the recommended amount of aerobic exercise. (iStock)
“The findings of lower mortality in those who had higher strength but were not meeting current national guidelines on aerobic activity were somewhat intriguing,” LaMonte said.
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Federal guidelines recommend strengthening activities one to two days per week, targeting major muscle groups.
Resistance training does not have to require a gym membership, LaMonte noted. These exercises can be performed using free weights, resistance bands, bodyweight movements or even household items, such as soup cans.
Experts recommend working major muscle groups one or two days a week using weights, bands or bodyweight exercises. (iStock)
“Movement is the key — just move more and sit less,” he said. “When we can no longer get out of the chair and move around, we are in trouble.”
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LaMonte acknowledged several limitations of the study. The researchers assessed muscle strength in older age but did not explore how earlier levels in adulthood might influence long-term health outcomes.
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“We were not able to understand how strength and mortality relate in younger ages,” he said, noting that future research should explore whether building strength earlier could have an even greater impact on longevity.
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